By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

HARRISON — Sara Wentworth never knew the grandmother who died when her father was only 10 years old, but Sara inherited her grandmother’s button collection.

Coming into possession of that button collection has taken her on a journey of learning about the round objects, and getting to know other people who collect buttons. More than 20 years ago, in 2002, Sara was inspired to become involved with the Friendship Button Club.

“As soon as I saw the buttons at 21 years old, I was interested. Within a year, I’d researched, joined a national society and found a local club,” Sara said.

When she started out with the button club, there were two women — Hazel Cook and Ruth Harju, both of Bridgton — from whom she learned about buttons and the club’s purpose.

“I tried to follow how it was when Hazel and Ruth had the button club. First, we have a social hour where sit and talk and then we break out the buttons,” Sara said.

And no food around the antique buttons, she cautioned. 

“Hazel always stressed to me it was about the education and history of buttons,” she said. “The original themes of the Friendship Button Club are: Friendship, education and fun.”

In the spirit of educating the public, the Friendship Button Club (FBC) will be hosting a Button Show & Sale on Thursday, Aug. 1, from noon to 3 p.m. The event will be held at the United Parish Congregational church of Harrison, 77 Main St. Button crafts will also be for sale.

Club member Sharon (Leino) Merrill cited some reasons that people purchase buttons.

“A lot of us will bring a box, a poke box. Everything in the box costs the same, sometimes 25 cents a button. Or they have a card and it says the price for each button. You might have quilters who are embellishing a hanging. Some people will come to buy buttons for embellishment or making jewelry. A lot of buttons make beautiful earrings,” Sharon said.

Sara said people might want to come to the show to learn about the historical and artistic side of button.

Elaine Bauer knew of another reason that someone would be interested in going to the afternoon button show.

“Sometimes, someone inherited their grandmother’s buttons and want to learn more about them,” Elaine said.

As the club members express excitement about the first-ever show and sale, the people in the club talked about FBC’s history which actually dates back to 1959.

“Helen Maxfield, of Harrison, had just acquired a huge bunch of buttons. She acquired a lot of button from someone in Portland. She started the club in 1959,” Sara said.

There are two dates to celebrate: 2024 is the 65th year since the club began; and July 2024 marks the one-year anniversary of the re-startup of meetings that had been stopped by the Pandemic.

After the Pandemic restrictions were lifted, there were some delays in the club meeting again, Sara said. And, in July 2023, the button club resumed its monthly meetings in the basement of the United Parish Congregational church in Harrison, she said. The group meets on the first Thursday of the month.

“After Covid hit, there was only one remaining button club, the York County Button Club — that is where everyone met until we [FBC] revived,” Sara said.

Button clubs are rooted in New England history, according to Elaine, who is the correspondent for the Northeast Regional Button Association.

“Each town or village would have a button club. The ladies would get together,” she said.

The popularity of the tin of buttons increased during the Depression, when people relied on radio for entertainment, she said.

“There was a radio show. Everyone would tune in. The announcer would say, ‘Get out your tin of buttons.’ And, they started talking about the buttons,” Elaine explained.

“The show might be a good way to recruit people, to let people know there is another club going on in the state. It is interesting,” she said. 

During the monthly meetings of the Friendship Button Club, there is a presentation on a different topic. In July, the group learned about jeweled buttons produced by the Cheshire Manufacturing Company.

“When someone did a presentation on rubber buttons, I realized I had thrown some out without knowing . . .  Now, I don’t get rid of any buttons,” Elaine said.

There is a joy in discovering the history of a button in one’s collection.

“It is like a treasure hunt You might find that one antique that is a $50 button,” Sara said.

Nancy Smith, who drive from North Yarmouth to attend the monthly meetings in Harrison, has the jeweled button presentation on her mind.

“Tonight, I will be looking for Cheshire buttons. Buttons just make us happy,” Nancy said, smiling

Sharon agreed.

“The reason I like collecting buttons It encompasses art, history, science — what they are made of — and fashion,” she said.